Google Maps is Epic

Have you ever sat down and thought about Google Earth? Well it's rather ambitious, even for one of the largest technology companies in the world, to map the whole world. And yeah, they are trying to map the whole world, with detailed maps, satellite images, street view, local businesses and turn-by-turn navigation. And then to offer it to anyone with internet access... for free. Google has changed the way millions of us use maps.

This video from Google explains where the Google Maps/Google Earth service is going and a bit about the history of the service. Google's mapping service during the Katrina Hurricane disaster is just one way that digital maps have changed the world.

 

Sky HD Update

Sky have updated their set top box set's software with a new glass effect look, which looks fantastic on HD displays. The new software includes more than just a facelift though, there is a new structure for the on demand internet download content. This is crucial for Sky's continued success in the TV market with the increasing popularity of both internet connected TV's and set top boxes such as games consoles, Boxee, Apple TV and TiVo. The update brings content to the user by channel, much like these other services, particularly the Xbox and PlayStation interfaces. Sky allows you to search for program's across all services, which isn't always possible in Sky's rival boxes/TV's, with the main exception being Google TV, where search as a certain significance!

The update is accompanied by news that the BBC's online content, BBC iPlayer will be available through Internet connected Sky boxes from the Autumn. This is one of the last platforms to recurve BBC iPlayer which can be viewed on most devices including the Virgin Media set top box and BT Vision too. Sky continues to add to its vast library of online content available through Sky Anytime (their on demand Internet service), including hundreds of films. Even more is available from Sky Store too.

IPv6 - The Future

The internet uses the IPv4 system of IP addresses to uniquely identify devices connected to the internet. The format is a series of 4 sets of up to 3 numbers, for example 192.168.0.1. These are comparable to phone numbers, so it's good have a unique number. The trouble is there's ony around 4 billion IPv4 addresses, and we are running out. There wouldn't be enough numbers for each person to have a number each and many people use numerous devices which have IPv4 addresses everyday, PC's, laptops, smartphones, IP TV's etc.

So the future of the internet depends on the availability of unique addresses, and the answer is IPv6. With IPv6 there are about 340 trillion trillion trillion address. Today is World IPv6 Launch day and from now on companies will begin the transition from IPv4 to IPv6. To test if your connection is IPv6 Google have created a website that can check for you: http://ipv6test.google.com/

More info: Internet Society IPv6 Launch and Google.com/IPv6

Set Yourself Free with MiFi

So your on the internet. Where are you? Home, work, basically anywhere you can get a Wi-Fi connection, right? What if you didn't have to always pop to that cafe because they have free Wi-Fi, or limit the use of your Wi-Fi only iPad to your lounge?

You can now take a Wi-Fi connection with you,where ever you go*. And I'm not talking about home broadband packages which include access to hotspots around the country, such as BT and Sky (Sky's new tie up with The Cloud was covered on the blog: http://webwarpblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/sky-wifi.html). This blogpost is about the brilliance of MiFi Mobile Broadband. MiFi is a 3G internet connected Wi-Fi router which fits in the palm of your hand. You can connect multiple devices to it so they can all share the single 3G data connection.

A couple of 3 MiFi devices

iPhone 4S 3G Speed

Apple's latest handset, the iPhone 4S has two antennas. Whether this is a quest for speedier mobile internet access or just a necessity for Apple's iPhone 4S to overcome the signal problems which affected some (mainly left handed) iPhone 4 users, is a debate for another day.

The key thing to note is that this change increases the theoretical download speed over the 3G mobile network from 7.2 Mbps to 14.4 Mbps by using both antennas at full capacity. From Apple's website:

Image: Apple Inc http://www.apple.com/uk/iphone/features/#performance

This claim is easy to make (and probably confirm) in laboratory conditions, but in the real world is it likely to happen? As any speed below 7.2 Mbps can't for certain be coming from this new dual antennas feature (despite the chances being that it probably is) I have set 7.2 Mbps as a benchmark. In a recent speed test with the iPhone 4S, in an urban area where there is good 3G coverage a download speed of 8.8 Mbps proves that this feature works in practice. And given the correct level of coverage, iPhone 4S users can benefit from faster speeds than (at the moment) any other 3G enable handset.

This is quite a turn around from the signal issues with the iPhone 4, and a welcome addition to an already fully featured handset. If you have tested the 3G speed of your handset, feel free to tweet @webwarpblog with details. Web Warp Blog recommends www.speedtest.net for internet speed testing. Mobile applications are available for iOS and Android devices.

BT Broadband Service Problems

BT have suffered a power failure leading to a disrupted BT Broadband service today. BT are aware of the problem and are working to fix it to minimise disruption to their customers.
More info on BBC News.

The Internet and the Browser

Google's App Store has loads of apps to choose from but this one caught my eye and deserves a few minutes of your attention. This app is actually just a link to a website, a particularly well made website. It's a virtual book with a history of the internet and web browsers. It's written by the team behind Google Chrome, but it applies to all web browsers.

The book goes through 20 things that everyone might want to know about how web browsers and the internet works, and the best thing is that it's free. It covers all the big questions and covers the big topics such as "What is the Internet?".

The book is at www.20thingsilearned.com and on the Chrome Web Store.

Happy reading.